Could a Google Glass app that detects human emotion help those with autism?

[<a href="//storify.com/cbccommunity/could-this-emotion-detecting-google-glass-app-help" target="_blank">View the story "Could a Google Glass app that detects human emotion help individuals with Autism?" on Storify</a>]<h1>Could a Google Glass app that detects human emotion help individuals with Autism?</h1><h2></h2><p>Storified by <a href="https://storify.com/cbccommunity">CBC News Community</a>&middot; Tue, Sep 02 2014 22:44:16
</p><div>Fraunhofer</div><div><div>A new Google Glass app that identifies human emotions is being compared around the web this week&nbsp;to everything from the coming of&nbsp;Skynet to Minority Report in real life -- but is it really as creepy a concept as some are making it out to be?</div><div><br></div><div>The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/en/ff/bsy/tech/bildanalyse/shore-gesichtsdetektion.html">SHORE Human Emotion Detector</a>, developed by The&nbsp;Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, is described as a "face tracker on Google Glass that can read people's emotions."</div><div><br></div><div>The app is based on Fraunhofer's proprietary software library for real-time facial detection and analysis&nbsp;called SHORE.</div><div><br></div><div>SHORE, which stands for&nbsp;Sophisticated High-speed Object Recognition Engine, can perform "extremely fine facial analysis" according to the German research organization's website, by accessing a database of more than 10,000 annotated faces.</div><div><br></div><div>"The foundation of the versatile SHORE™ solution lies in our extensive experience with detection and analysis technologies and a large database for machine learning," reads Fraunhofer's description of the software library.&nbsp;"In combination with the structure-based features and learning algorithms, we can train so-called models that boast extremely high recognition rates."</div></div><div>shore googleglass 2014 720p youtubefraunhoferiis</div><div><div>Using Fraunhofer's proprietary tools and software, the app is able to tell Google Glass users the gender, rough age, and emotional status of the person they are looking at.</div><div><br></div><div>The app runs undetected to anyone who isn't wearing glass, but <a href="http://www.geek.com/apps/human-emotion-detector-for-google-glass-is-by-far-the-creepiest-wearable-app-to-date-1603210/">as Geek.com notes</a>, Glass will only last&nbsp;"about 10 minutes before consuming 50% of the battery" while the app is running.</div><div><br></div><div>Many online have criticized the app as "creepy," predominantly based on its likeness to technologies seen in dystopic sci-fi movies.</div><div><br></div><div>"This is like RoboCop, but real, and on your face. Now," wrote Gizmodo in a post called "This Google Glass App That Measures Human Emotions Is So, So Creepy."</div><div><br></div><div>"This is one of the most frightening things I've ever seen," wrote a commenter on the YouTube video above called&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/profile_redirector/106180420540571940065">iamdmc</a>. "This is the way the world ends... not with a bang but with a 90's-esque futuristic tech video of robots who look like humans narrated by an ominous voice with way-too-intense music playing in the background."﻿</div></div><div>I guess Robocop-vision is here guys Fraunhofer's Google Glass app detects human emotions in real time http://t.co/0EJlRDbP2jAnthony Newman</div><div>Minority Report Advertising is here: Google Glass app detects human emotions in real time http://t.co/MzWRVZZJvm http://t.co/2MXLTqESJYJuan Pablo Solano</div><div>Google Glass app that measures human emotions: http://t.co/KQh2yAORUp". Robocop and Terminator heads-up display for real!Mark Huckabee</div><div><div>Others, however, including&nbsp;The&nbsp;Fraunhofer Institute itself, say that the app could be helpful for both the visually impared, and&nbsp;<a href="https://">individuals on the autism spectrum</a> who may have difficulty the interpreting emotions of others.</div><div><br></div><div>"This opens up an entire spectrum of new smart eyewear applications, including communication aids for people with disorders such as autism, many of whom have difficulty interpreting emotions through facial expressions," <a href="http://modernlifetimes.com/shore-google-glass-app-detect-emotions/">wrote ModernLifeTimes</a>. "This missing information could be superimposed in the person's field of vision with data glasses. Even the visually impaired can benefit from the new software by receiving supplementary audio information about people in their surroundings."</div><div><br></div><div>Many on Twitter seem likewise excited by the idea.</div></div><div>Google's Project SHORE uses machine learning with Glass to estimate human emotion. Going to be a breakthrough in aspergers/autism treatment.Cattle Jetliner</div><div>a great tool for ppl with autism! &quot;@businessinsider: New app lets people wearing Google Glass see your true emotions http://t.co/84QEIFRW2K&quot;Reuben D. Wilson</div><div>Researchers are working on creating an app for Google Glass that may help individuals with ASD with IDing emotions. http://t.co/ETaQiywqBBRufus Robot</div><div>http://t.co/LcwpXj7Wos
This would be an amazing tool for aspergers/authistic!!!Thomas Geffroyd</div><div>Creepy &amp; cool: Google Glass app recognizes emotions of people at which you are looking http://t.co/PgojO4UIlG - great for autism!Jakob Straub</div><div>What are your thoughts on the potential use cases for this Google Glass app? Weigh in below.</div>

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